Bristol banning orders leads to 'dramatic' fall in crime

Reports of anti-social behaviour in one Bristol community have dramatically fallen since three troublemaking ringleaders were banned from the area, police say.

In April, Jamie Jeffrey, 18, of Ascot Road, Southmead, and Ashley Mullen, 18, of Roselarge Gardens, Brentry, were banned from Crow Lane in Henbury and the surrounding area for a year.

In July, Peter Clark, 19, of Westerleigh Road, Southmead, was served with the same injunction.

As well as being banned from the area, the three were also barred from being with more than two other people in Henbury or neighbouring Brentry.

Police believe the teenagers were at the heart of the trouble in Crow Lane, which has included street fights, drunken behaviour, threatening shoppers and vandalism.

An injunction is a final warning before police apply for an anti-social behaviour order.

Large posters of the youths, and others subject to similar orders, were pinned up in and around Crow Lane to encourage residents and shopkeepers to report if them if they did enter the area.

If any of them are seen by police in the area during the ban, they can be immediately arrested and sent back to court, where they may be sent to jail.

The civil court injunctions were obtained by Sergeant Terry Scoble, in conjunction with Bristol City Council's Safer Bristol Partnership and Anti-Social Behaviour team.

Since the injunctions were imposed, Mr Scoble says Crow Lane has seen a significant reduction in anti-social behaviour-related crimes such as criminal damage, assault and nuisance vehicles such as mopeds being driven dangerously.

Year-on-year figures show calls to police from Crow Lane dropped by 17 per cent in May, 40 per cent in June, 25 per cent in August and 50 per cent in September.

Mr Scoble said that October should also show a great improvement as, up until October 25, 11 calls had been received, whereas last year there were 40 calls in the month.

"We have experienced a significant reduction in anti-social behaviour-related crime since the injunctions were imposed on these three youths," Mr Scoble said.

"It is clear from the figures that the imposition of these injunctions were crucial in achieving these figures.

"However, other factors including maintaining high visibility patrols in the area and interacting with the public have also played an important part.

"We acknowledge that there is still more work to be done and the community can rest assured it will be."